Unit 5

Distress

Psychological disorders often cause personal distress, characterized by extreme discomfort, suffering, or emotional pain.

Example: A person feeling overwhelming sadness and anxiety due to a traumatic event.

Dysfunction

The behavior significantly interferes with daily life, relationships, or job performance.

Example: An individual unable to maintain a job due to excessive absences caused by anxiety.

Deviance

Behavior that violates societal norms or expectations and is considered statistically or socially unusual.

Example: A person exhibiting behaviors that are increasingly bizarre, such as talking to imagined beings

Irrationality

The behavior or thought process does not make logical sense or is disconnected from reality.

Example: A person convinced that they are being monitored by extraterrestrial beings.

Unpredictability

Sudden, erratic behavior that seems to have no rational explanation.

Example: A person reacting explosively to minor stressors without clear cause.

Observer Discomfort

The behavior makes others feel uneasy or disturbed.

Example: An individual acting out in public, causing bystanders to feel uncomfortable.

Psychological Disorder

A syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that interferes with daily life.

Medical Model

The concept that psychological disorders have biological causes and can be diagnosed, treated, and sometimes cured.

Biopsychosocial Approach

A framework for understanding disorders that integrates biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors.

Diathesis-Stress Model

Suggests that a disorder arises from a genetic predisposition combined with environmental stressors.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors influence gene expression without changing DNA.

DSM-5-TR

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, used for classifying psychological disorders.

Labeling Controversy

Some psychologists argue that diagnostic labels can stigmatize individuals, create bias, and oversimplify human behavior.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Persistent and excessive worry that is difficult to control.

Panic Disorder

Sudden, intense episodes of panic attacks with physical symptoms like a racing heart and shortness of breath.

Specific Phobia

An irrational fear of a specific object or situation that leads to avoidance behavior.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Characterized by obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors) performed to reduce anxiety.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A disorder following trauma, marked by flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Persistent sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest lasting at least two weeks.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

A chronic, long-term form of depression with milder symptoms.

Bipolar I Disorder

Alternating periods of full manic episodes and depression.

Bipolar II Disorder

Alternates between hypomania (less intense mania) and major depression.

Rumination

The tendency to repeatedly focus on negative thoughts, worsening depression.

Schizophrenia

A severe disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and diminished emotional expression.

Chronic Schizophrenia

Symptoms develop slowly over time, with less chance of recovery.

Acute Schizophrenia

Symptoms appear suddenly, often in response to stress, and may improve with treatment.

Delusion

A false belief (e.g., paranoia, grandiosity) despite contradictory evidence.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A rare disorder where a person exhibits two or more distinct identities.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A pattern of disregard for others, lack of empathy, and manipulative behavior.

Cluster A (Odd/Eccentric)

Includes personality disorders like paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal.

Cluster B (Dramatic/Erratic)

Includes personality disorders like antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic.

Cluster C (Anxious/Fearful)

Includes personality disorders like avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive.

Anorexia Nervosa

Characterized by self-starvation, intense fear of weight gain, and body image distortion.

Bulimia Nervosa

Episodes of binge eating followed by purging (vomiting, laxatives, fasting, excessive exercise).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impaired social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests.

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)

Characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Psychotherapy

A broad term for treating mental disorders through talk therapy and psychological techniques.

Biomedical Therapy

Treatment using medications or medical procedures to affect brain function.

Eclectic Approach

Combining multiple therapeutic techniques for a tailored treatment plan.

Psychoanalysis (Freud)

Uses techniques like free association and dream analysis to uncover unconscious conflicts.

Psychodynamic Therapy

An updated version of psychoanalysis that focuses on self-awareness and emotional insight.

Humanistic Therapy (Rogers)

Focuses on self-growth, active listening, and unconditional positive regard.

Behavior Therapy

Uses conditioning techniques to modify behavior.

Cognitive Therapy (Beck & Ellis)

Focuses on changing negative thought patterns to improve mental health.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A blend of cognitive restructuring and behavior modification.

Psychopharmacology

The study of how drugs affect mental disorders.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Used to treat schizophrenia by reducing dopamine activity.

Antianxiety Drugs

Depress central nervous system activity to reduce anxiety symptoms.

Antidepressant Drugs

Increase neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine to improve mood.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A last-resort treatment for severe depression using electric shocks to induce seizures.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Uses magnetic pulses to stimulate brain regions linked to depression.

Lobotomy

A rare psychosurgical procedure that severs connections in the brain’s frontal lobes, historically used to treat severe mental illness.

Resilience

The ability to withstand stress and recover from adversity.

Therapeutic Alliance

A strong relationship between therapist and client, critical for effective therapy.

Evidence-Based Practice

Therapy methods that are scientifically validated for effectiveness.

Ethical Principles in Therapy

Includes confidentiality, informed consent, beneficence, and non-maleficence.